Self-adjusting track-brace.



W. DUNN.

SELF ADIUSTING TRACK BRACE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28.1918.

Patented July 9, 1918.

.IIIIIIIUI I, I w b m w w www ,o mim@ INVEN TOR.

.WILLIAM DUNN, ...01s. ELK, Miramare.

s-ELFTADJUSTING mack-Baltes;

Torelli .cdrom ,/tzmay camcom: lBe-iftv ltaomniethat 1I, .llmLLrAM D'uNNfa citizen of '1 the '..Y'Uaidited Statesaresidfmg :at

v Elk, i in; the -lcountyx ofL'Limcoln andi State lof llyoH-nuagthave@invented. aznewaand useful Ilmpisovnment YSelffsfAdieusting Track- Braces, f-.o'f `ovlniichtheizfollowing. isra speciii-` l p v prongsoengageats web, the bolt 2 isl slid under said raiil. and through the' lateral vholescation.`

lZ'Ilhis.invertionrelates toi-a `newfga-nd usefull- 10 improvement.1n5scifiadpistmgatracke braces.

The ;4 Principal. .obj ect; of; my.` inverrtion .wie tof provide az track' :brace .which is; ad] ustable to4 adi'erent. size rails -.avherev.er '.xlocate-d,

. for the purpose of nmaintaiuingthe gage 1 5 of! the traalsf1 anch fprerentingathe; rails; from tipping ":wlienwa :traint isfrunnxiill'g roven. 116111. The-preferred torni of @embodiment Jof my l invention 1s :illust-rated; `1n the accoma panying VdraWings of-avhichl Figure :15 is a planview .off-my.self-adiyustmgy brace applied.` to the twoffrailsfoffatrack. Fig 2 is:

a. frontseleva-tional view .of 1 invention, shomingtha rails.l in. section. Y Eig.. .3 111s. a' -;venticalasectiontakenfo.n. theline b-:b of

Fig.. 1. I`Ei-g..4fis an end`v vienmof the device.

Andd-ig. .ggisefan routhnefendviewvof .ai standardl rzuihffor. theppurposefof illustrating myiinyention;

. Throughout..lthe specification-g and -idrawvings,.'.simiflar-referencel characters denote in;.parallel[alinementv to fOr-ma track, While the .numeral 2 designates .au elongated .bolt

which coperates .with .thaparts new `.to be describedlin holding:v the. rails 1 1 .to gage and fpreventiagtheirspread-iiig athena .train passes over them.

Adapted ltoHbeMslipped over the bolt 2, to a position near its middle portionagis` a short sleeve 3. However., before the: sleeve is applied to the' bolt 2, a Washer 4 is dropped on ..the...latter. toV rest ...against .its

head. 'l This Washer 4 has an inclined firmer side adapted to slide, in the direction of the line a-a, upon the inclined portion of a bracing member 5 now to be described.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, there are provided for each rail 1, two bracing members 5 5, each of Which comprises an inclined portion upon which the Washer 4 slides, and in Which there is a lateral hole adapted to loosely receive the bolt 2. Each of the braces 5 has a forked end, the upper` Specification of Letterslatent.

Patentenammalato.

y ApplicatoH-:led February 28, 1918. SerilN 01421915 14.

prong. .of lavihich is adapted; tof. engage. the weblrofzthcrail, While theV lower prong is piuotaillyconnected .to ta 1 corresponding prong. ofrasnotherf brace. f

Aftera Washer4 .is :dropped .on the head end lofrthe: .bolt 2, andV lpair. of: braces 5` 5 is..,npplied-` to ya rail 1 so that their .upper in the braces, after Which a secondwasher 4I islapplfied ,tosaiduzbolt-v zThe. sleeve 3; and a-.thiiiid Washer4f.are .then applied; tothe bolt 2,; after which. it is: thrust through ythe holes` in afsecoud'V pair of braces `5 5.app`lied to the second `rail 1, .whereupon a v.four-th Washerv 4 isapplied to. theabolt. A. nut. 6 isathen .screwed `on the threaded. .end .of the latter. v

-i'Ihe;.loWer;forked. portions of eachpair of;3.brac es,.5 5;.areg. pivotally connected asr at 7,;so ythat-When the Inut .6 .is tightened, vthe Washers 1.4i which. are caused thereby, to ride up the` inclined. portions ofthev braces 5 5, notion-lyl carry .the bolt@l upwardly into engagement with the Ifeetof the rails, but` also cause :the upper ,pron-gsqofthe lbraces to irmlyenga'ge the Webs. of theirails, the sleeve@ :communicatingthe lateral thrust fronrft-he secondpair of braces toithelfirst. Accordingly, .the .more the vnut 6 ,is ,tightened, the .fmore'frmly-.wijll the v rails be gripped by the Abraces to hold theirgage and prevent .their spreading under the most adverse conditions.

A'In orderto guide.y theavashers 4 during their up` and; doWlLmovement upon .the braces 5 5,; the -finclin'ed portions .of the latter.v are provided- Withfslots 8 to receive; ,projections orteats 9v on .the-Washers, sa-idys/lots. and projections.` .alsoz lserving to prevent a .turning or..sidefinovement ..of said .Washers v (See 1-.-)l j Y..

,.My. .improved-l .brace isfgnotj only adapted to firmly hold the gage of rails to which it is applied, 'buttitf is adjustable in :that rit y.mayifbe' applied to different size rails at any place, Without changing the length of the sleeve 3 or altering other parts. In other constructions With which I am familiar, the sleeve 3 must be of different lengths to accommodate the brace to different size rails.

Upon observation I find that as the Weight of the rail decreases, the Width 10 of the top, and the height 11 of the bottom, of the rail (see Fig. 5) will also decrease. Ac-

cordingly, the smaller rail permits the braces 5 to approach nearer each other, and, in conjunction with their pivotal action, increases the inclination of their inclined faces, or the line awa, to permit the washers 4 to ride farther up toward the rail when the nut 6 is tightened, thereby moving the rails toward each other a distance suflcient-to make up for the decrease in the width l0 of their tops. In the case of the larger rail, the inclination of the line a-a will be decreased, whereupon the washers will not be permitted to ride as far up toward the rail as in the first instance and the rails will be maintained a" sufficient distance apart to make up for the increase in the width l0 of their tops. Therefore the rails will be kept at the same gage by my improved braces irrespective of their size.

,I vdo not wish to be limited to the details of construction and arrangement herein shown and described, and any changes or modifications may be made therein within the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In adevice of the type specified, the combination with a pair of rails in track alinement, of a pair of forked clamping braces for each rail, the upper prongs of each pair of braces adapted to engage the web of theV rail from opposite sides, while the lower prongs of said braces are pivotally connected together, an elongated member laterally movable through holes in said clamping braces below their forked ends, a head on one end of said elongated member, a nut adapted to be applied to its otherend, and slidable means on said member adapted to be moved upon the braces when thenut is tightened, to draw theelongated member tightly against the feet of the rails and to press the upper prongs of the braces firmly against the web portions of said rails.

2. In a device of the type specified, the combination with a pair of rails in track alinement, of a pair of forked clamping braces for each rail, the upper prongs of each pair kof braces adapted to engage the web ofv the rail from opposite sides, while the lower prongs of said braces are pivotally connected together, an elongated bolt laterally movable through holes in said clamping braces bealinement, of a pair of inclined clampingA braces for each rail, the upperend of each brace being forked, the lower prong of each pair of braces beingpivotally connected. together, while their upper prongs are adapted to engage the web portion of the'rail from opposite sides, an yelongated bolt laterally movable through holes provided in the in-Y clined portion of the said braces below their forked ends, a nut adapted to be applied tov v the threaded end of said bolt, a sleeve on the middle portion of saidy bolt, and aslidablewasher on said bolt, on each side of said sleeve, and at each,i end of the bolt, each washer having an inclined inner end adapted to be moved upon the upperprong of an adjacent brace when said nut is tightened. I

4. In a device of the type specified, the

combination with a pair of rails in trackv alinement, of a pair of inclined clamping braces for each rail, the upper'ends of each brace being forked, the lower prongs of the forked portions of each pair of braces being pivotally connected together, while their upper prongs are adapted 'to engage the web portion of the rail from opposite sides, an elongated bolt laterally movable through holes provided in the inclined portions of said braces below their forked ends, a nut adapted to be applied to the threadedend of said bolt, a, slidable washerl on said bolt adapted to be moved uponfthe upper portion ofran adjacent brace whenlthe nut is tightened, a slot in the upper portion of each brace, and a projection on a washer adapted to enter its respective slot to guide it during its up and down movementonthe brace. In testimony whereof I` have hereunto 'set my hand this 26th day of'February, v1918.

wILLiAM DUNN.

Witness: 'Y

HowARD S. SMiTrr..

Copies of this patent may be obtained for''ve guts each, by addressing the' Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

